Music in Units--Part 1, American Revolution

If buttercups buzz'd after the bee

If boats were on land, churches on sea

If ponies rode men and if grass ate the cows

And cats should be chased into holes by the mouse

If the mamas sold their babies

To the Gypsies for half a crown

If summer were spring

And the other way 'round

Then all the world would be upside down!

Generations of students have been taught that the British army played "The World Turned Upside Down" as they marched out of Yorktown, defeated.  It's charming, and completely apropos, that the most powerful military in the world, having just surrendered to the ragtag Colonials, would lament the wonder and imbalance of the situation with this very old song, but there is evidence to the contrary. Nevertheless, a unit on the American Revolution wouldn't be complete without referencing this piece of music.

The challenge--and fun--of any unit is trying to incorporate all subjects into the topic, including music.  Some units are more challenging than others to do this in, but there is always a way. 

One of the resources I've been using for music in this unit is The Patriotic Music Companion Fact Book. It is... interesting. There is certainly some musicality lacking in early pieces, but the history is great and the lyrics thoughtful. For each song, there is one page of history/background and then one page of melody and lyrics. This book includes the very first truly American patriotic music--songs I guarantee you've never heard of--as well as some old favorites.

Book of Facts and Music

On Memorial Day 2013 P3 and I had the fantastic opportunity to be at Colonial Williamsburg, listening to and following a parade of the CW Fife and Drum Core (as well as listening to a touching memorial service).  It's hard to describe what I felt, but fifes and drums sure get me choked up. On one of my trips to CW I picked up a couple of fifes for the kids to play with, as well as a great recording of fifes and drums.  I particularly like this recording because the first half of the CD is a song for each of the original 13 colonies, each specifically chosen because it represents something unique to that colony.  The CD also contains the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Core playing "The World Turned Upside Down."

Fifes and Drums Concert

Another suggestion:  make sure everyone can play "Yankee Doodle" on an instrument, weather it's the fife, the piano, or even a kazoo.  If you have talented musicians, see if they can make their own arrangements of some of these songs.

See post George vs. George for another way to add music into an American Revolution unit.